Google celebrates small businesses month with e-commerce summit

As part of a month-long commemoration of International Micro, Small, and Medium-sized businesses day in June, Google has announced a new initiative to support small retail businesses in Africa, including a one-hour virtual training event summit aimed at helping SMB owners develop skills and tools to compete online.

In collaboration with Coursera, a well-known open online course provider, it is developing an online career certificate course in digital marketing and e-commerce for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with 1000 scholarships to Africans who wish to participate. The certificate course is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at preparing participants for entry-level jobs, the company said in a statement.

In addition to the commemoration of international SMB, a new tool will be launched, Local Opportunity Finder. The tool examines a Google Business Profile and gives personalized recommendations for changes a business owner can do to improve how their business profile appears in Google Search. There will also be a free, one-week Hustle academy, which will focus on vital skills to assist small and medium-sized retail business (SMBs) in developing the abilities they need to expand.

Africa’s growing young population and urbanisation present huge expansion opportunities for small retail businesses. South Africa has almost 2,000 shopping malls covering over 24 million square metres. Wholesale and retail are the third-largest contributors to Nigeria’s GDP, with more than 90 percent of the industry made up of informal merchants, while Kenya, with an e-commerce market growth rate of 44 percent in 2021, has seen a steady rise in the number of outlets over the last five years.

Juliet Ehimuan, Google country director for West Africa, stated that Google hopes to help businesses in Africa get the competences they need to connect online and increase their customer base through digital marketing and e-commerce certification.

Read also: The promise of e-commerce for Africa’s small businesses

“E-commerce presents an opportunity for small businesses in Africa to reach new customers and grow. Through the digital marketing & e-commerce career certificates and specialised training and 1000 scholarships, we want to be able to assist small businesses in Africa gain the expertise to connect online, expand their customer base and scale up,” Ehimuan said.

E-commerce markets in Kenya and Nigeria increased by 40 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in 2021, while online sales in South Africa increased by 66 percent from 2019 to 2020, reaching more than $1.8 billion. “As more consumers on the continent continue to search for goods and services online, it is critical that small retail businesses learn how to better harness online tools for growth,” Ehimuan added.

Google’s ongoing commitment to supporting small businesses in Africa is visible through initiatives such as Google Hustle Academy, Google Business Profile, Market Finder and Market Kit. The programmes commemorating International SMB Day this month reaffirm Google’s dedication to ensuring that small retail businesses on the continent acquire the necessary digital technology, tools and training to thrive and be more resilient.